Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-09-10
A SILHOUETTE
Taken Against the Twilight Sky At
Asbury Park.

Taken Against the Twilight Sky At
Asbury Park.
Special Corrrspondencel
AsBURY PARK. y. J.. Sept St wls on
a pavilion at Ashury Park. Time. twilight
The band was playing I'm the Cleaning"
the waves were rolling in with walls, whose
mournful music everybody could feel and
nobody could translate into words. Lovers
walked slowly by on the wild. board walk or
sat together leaning over this railing looking
into the water as though trying to read there
the future they wished to realize. Groups of
persons sat silent, resting their nerves with
the splendid strength OF the sea. Others chat
tered and laughed III apparent oblivion ol the
wondrous voice which moaned increasingly at
their feet
Somebody moved a chair quite close to ME.
Looking up from NV deep sea reverie saw
Ia the twilight a fresh, young face and .
trim little figure in brown jacket and straw
hat
Good evenin'," she said in the sweetest,
but most uncultivated Of voices. ''Ef you
don't mind, I'll set down here beside ye,
cause your alone and som l."
made room, for her and assured her that
didn't mind -
The gates Of reserve once open. she ratified
on, hurrying to tell everything she thought
worth telling.
"It's the first time | ever WAS here she
said, "an I'm goiu' to stay Till September. l
live in -. That's 1O4 miles from here. /
ike it here first rate. Ny cousin she wanted
me to so and stay all summer with her. She
said I'd be lonesome here, but wanted TO
come. Its nice TO her house, too. There's
five girls in the family and teckinboy"
Il beg pardon. Five girls and-wharrI
inquired.
a teckinboy" And the fresh, guileless
face turned up toward mine in surprise
Still did not understand.
why. teckinboy, TO be sure Didn't you
never hear of teckinboy! A boy they took
to raise, We know"
Then it came into my mind tha. taken
boy" was the term she aimed at In the ver-
nacular Of her native neiGhborhood that is
probably the correct name for the person she
described as "A boy they took TO raise"
They're gettin' so they don't like him very
well, either. | don't like him myself Ny
cousin Clara is engaged; been engaged fur a
good while Him and her write to each
other all the time He don't live where she
does. don't care much for gentlemens l
like nice ladies best"
You are very young" said Il fear that
nice ladies' will not always content you"
NO; l reckon they won't" quite seriously.
But I'm nearly 10, and you talk about any
body bein' young. why, you can't be more
than - or % yourself"
felt fiattered, and had a notion to hug her
The twilight was fading into night every
minute, which accounted for her innocent
and Satt hut I IA Of
that a. the time. merely surrendered N.Y.
self to the sweetness Of it. The cold chill Of
reality strikes us soon enough after any flight
into the ideal | knew II would catch me be-
fore got back TO my hotel: but would not
encourage it to come any sooner.
I'm hard TO suit in men," she went on, set
ting her little red lips together with deter
mination which said very plainly that none
brt the best need apply.
What kind of gentlemen do you admiref'
inquired
-Oh, I want them nice and smart ard good
looking"
And richf'
No. don't care whether they're rich or
not I'm more pertickler to hev them smart
There's one at home who's been payin' atten-
ton to me. He's nice. He wants ME to
write to him But think he ought to write
first. Don't your And here a gurgle came
into her voice, half pleasure, half doubt.
/ refrained from giving direct opinion.
She rattlel on: He was to see me the
Saturday night before l left He said:
When are you goin', Gardiner On Wednes-
day said. Well, hate to see We CO. he
said. Dew yer said And then he laughed"
Again the gurgle, which evidently came with
all pleasurable reminiscence
Looking at the water for several minutes
in silence, she said, IL wonder what makes 1t
go sor
ibid mol undertake TO explain the mystery
of the tideA to this virgin mind
II don't see how it ken go So" she con-
tinuei in a perplexed tone.
Then she spoke of silk dresses and told how
much hers cost and now II was made But,
on the whole, her mind ran rather to events
than clo,hes Shs was more inclined TO see
the world than to figure i'll it Asbury Park
was the world to her. Everything was inter-
esting, everything glorious, and beyond it
and beyond the summer lay her future in
which the young man who hated to see her
go" loomei up in dreamy, ideal interest
Her ignorance was not only bliss to her; it
was sweetness to Others. 1t saddened me TO
think of the things she did not know and vet
must learn in this life or some hundred
others.
went TO my hotel, leaving her at tine pa
vilion, and saw her no more; but l shall
remember her as a bit OF untut0red sweetness
pleasant 10 have met. q. u.